Logical inferences according to the Cognitive Development model among Preparatory school students

Abstract

The research aims to identify the level of logical inferences and its skills among students of the preparatory stage, and to identify the logical inferences & its skills according to the gender variable (male - female) and academic specialization (scientific – literary). The sample consisted of (400) male and female students who were selected by the random stratified proportional method from the three Karkh education directorates. The researcher built a logical inferences test that includes: (6) sub-skills: inference (Proportional, probabilistic, Synthetic, Hypothetical, Syllogistic, & Variables Controlling). The electrochemical properties of the test were verified. The following statistical methods were used: (Chi-square, Correlation Coefficient: Pearson, Biserial, Spearman Brown Correlation), one-sample t-test, two-way analysis of variance). The following results were obtained: 1) Preparatory school students possess a high level of logical inference; 2) Preparatory stage students have more structural & hypothetical inference skill than other skills; 3) The degree of logical inference males is higher than in females; 4) The degree of logical inferences among students of the scientific Branch is higher than that of students of the literary Branch; 5) Males outperform females in the skills of proportional and Synthetic inference;